Nick Jans on living in Alaska, the stories that emerge from that lifestyle, and sharing with them with Alaska magazine readers.
Princess Daazhraii Johnson is the creative producer for Molly of Denali, an animated children’s show that follows 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl who helps her parents run the Denali Trading Post in the fictional community of Qyah. The show, which is the first nationally distributed children’s series to feature a Native American lead character, received a Peabody Award in 2020. Can you share with me the quick story of becoming a creative producer on Molly of Denali? I initially heard of the show when they were looking for a creative producer to come on board at the pilot stage. When I saw what they were trying to do it really resonated deeply with me because I’ve spent a lot of my life thinking about issues of representation. The history between the entertainment industry and indigenous people has not been a good relationship. So I really wanted to work…
Photo by Mauro Paillex / Unsplash. A renaissance mountain man, lifelong Alaskan Ed Shanley has stories stretching across the state. He’s humble, likeable, and a favorite human being to anyone who knows him. That said, pound for pound he’s likely the most versatile and accomplished guide in the north. He’s guided ice climbing, glacier trekking, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, and reality television productions. But far and away, Ed is most passionate about big mountains. He’s guided many of the world’s most extreme snowboarders and skiers in Alaska’s remote wilderness and brutal conditions. Based in Juneau, Ed guides helicopter skiing and ski mountaineering trips through his company, Alaska Powder Descents. When not in the mountains, Ed can be found around his cabin on the Taku River with his family enjoying the wilderness. He’s always happy to discuss wild places and trips at [email protected]. Gear descriptions by Ed Shanley Garmin Inreach SE+ I rely both…
Four essays, each named for the places where the experience occurred, each exploring some aspect of the human experience in Denali National Park.
The Arctic Refuge Virtual Bird Fest mimics an in-person bird festival. It includes video excursions into the refuge, guest speakers, and a featured artist.
A fiddlehead fern recipe for hot giardiniera, a Chicago-style relish good on hot dogs and franks. PIck fresh Alaskan fiddleheads for the key ingredient.
Photos of Rufous hummingbirds, tufted puffins, bald eagles, Steller’s Jay and other images Eric M. Beeman captured while birding in Kachemak Bay.
Mary Odden reflects on her life in the forest. The forest and humanity’s part in it is constantly in flux, but the rythym of splitting wood is dependable.
Kyle Hopkins. Photo courtesy Anchorage Daily News. Kyle Hopkins, 43, is a reporter and editor at the Anchorage Daily News. Hopkins was a reporter on the series “Lawless,” a collaboration between the ADN and ProPublica that won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The Pulitzer board called the body of work “a riveting series that revealed a third of Alaska’s villages had no police protection, took authorities to task for decades of neglect, and spurred an influx of money and legislative changes.” “One thing that was really instrumental and important to me early in the reporting was learning about a lawsuit about 20 years ago by several tribes that were saying if the state wasn’t going to support local means of tribal justice than it had a duty to provide the most basic of public safety services in villages, in the same way that you can’t just not provide…
Patagonia’s Triolet Jacket is a breathable and waterproof jacket that held its own against the wind, snow, and rain of southeast Alaska.
